Communications service providers, such as telephone service providers, employ various methods of charging users for communications usage within a communications network. One method of charging users for communications includes a per minute rate. For example, if a telephone user makes a long distance telephone call, the user is charged a rate per minute multiplied by the number of minutes that the telephone call lasts. One common practice is to change the per minute rate based on the destination of the telephone call and/or the time of day. For example, telephone calls within a country are typically cheaper per minute than calls from one country to another, and telephone calls during daytime hours, e.g., 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., are typically more expensive than calls during evening hours, e.g., 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Users who pay for communications services using a per-minute method often have difficulty determining how much money they have spent for communications services until they receive a billing statement from the communications company. In order to keep track of communications costs from day-to-day, the user must know how much time is spent using the communications services and the per minute rate. It is difficult and inconvenient for users to keep track of how much time is spent using a communications network, and the multiple rates charged by the communications provider are also difficult for a user to track. While users often know domestic telephone per minute rates, they may not know all international rates without contacting the telephone service provider. If users are surprised by a large billing statement, they may become dissatisfied with the communications services provider and hesitant to use the services without being able to track the costs.
Another conventional method for charging users for communications includes allowing the user to pay a periodic fee for a certain amount of communication usage. This method is particularly common in selling cellular telephone service. When such a method is employed, a user typically pays a monthly fee for a predefined number of “minutes” of telephone use in a predefined geographic area. If the user uses more than the predefined number of minutes or makes calls outside the predefined geographic area, the user is charged a per minute rate for the telephone calling time in addition to the monthly fee.
Users who pay for communications services with this certain-amount method also have difficulty determining how much money has been spent on telephone calls or other communications services once the prepaid services are used and the per minute rate is charged. In addition, such users often pay for more services than they use in a month. In typical certain-amount plans, if minutes are not used during the month, the minutes cannot be used at a later time. Some users would prefer to pay only for the time that they use.
Some users may have bad credit or non-existent credit and, therefore, would be a credit risk to a communications company charging per minute rates that are due after the communications services are delivered. Telephone companies often “toll block” these users. In other words, users who are deemed a credit risk are not allowed to make long distance or other calls requiring a toll or fee.
Many users who are “toll blocked” purchase prepaid calling cards. Prepaid service often eliminates the need to demonstrate good credit because the services are paid up front. However, such cards are often inconvenient for users for a number of reasons. Prepaid calling cards require that a user first dial an access code to access the prepaid account. The user is sometimes required to first dial a “toll free” phone number to enter the code. Because many cards and accounts may be offered by the same communications provider, the codes are often long and cumbersome to dial. In addition, such prepaid calling cards are not associated with an individual, and therefore, cannot be used to create a credit history.
One solution to some of these problems involves allowing users to pre-purchase credits that are used only if a call is made from a predefined telephone line. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,422. This method includes adding pre-purchased credits to an account that corresponds to a predefined telephone number. If a call is made from the predefined telephone number, the cost of the telephone call is deducted from the account amount. Users have many of the advantages of prepaid calling cards, including eliminating a need to demonstrate good credit, without needing to enter lengthy codes.
However, it is often inconvenient for a user to pay for pre-purchased credits. Credit card payments offer quick processing time because the credit card information may be entered directly into a payment system, such as through a computer network or by a customer service representative who is given the credit card information over the phone or at a retail store. Although it is relatively easy for some users to pay for pre-purchased credits by giving a credit card to a communications company, other users may not own credit cards. Typically, toll blocked users have poor credit, and are more likely to not have access to credit cards. If a user does not have a credit card, the pre-purchased credits can be paid for by sending a check or money order to a communications company. The processing time of the payment is generally inconveniently long using this method of payment. The payment is often sent through the mail, which can take several days. Processing time is also increased because checks and money orders must be examined and entered into a payment system. It may also take additional time for money to be transferred by a check or money order.
Still another conventional method for charging users for communications includes “unlimited” communications usage in exchange for a periodic fee. This method is common in selling Internet access. A user typically pays a monthly fee in exchange for unlimited access to a communications network, such as the Internet.
While users who pay for communications services with such a method know exactly how much will be due on a periodic billing statement, users often have the perception that they are paying for communications services that they are not using. While this method of payment may be convenient for users who spend many hours per month connected to the Internet, a user who only uses the Internet for an average of a few minutes per month would probably prefer to pay a per minute rate. However, a per minute rate involves the uncertainties of the fees and rates, and generally requires a good credit rating.
Another disadvantage of the current methods of payment exists when several people share the same telephone line, but wish to pay for telephone services individually. This situation is common among roommates. Users in this situation must either purchase calling cards or manually split up the billing statement. If the billing statement is split between individuals, there is no way for the communications service provider to know who incurred which bill, and often one or both individuals will be liable for the entire amount.
Still another disadvantage of the current methods of payment exists when one individual is paying for communications services in two or more households. Such an individual receives separate billing statement for each service, and each billing statement has the disadvantages discussed above of the payment method used. In addition, the individual paying for the service may be paying for communications services used by other individuals, such as the common situation where a parent pays for communications services for a child who is living at a separate residence. The individual paying for the service often has no way of restricting the services available to the other individuals, which can be especially problematic if a per minute rate is charged after the services have been provided. A common scenario is a parent being surprised by the phone bill that his or her child has incurred.
These and other problems are avoided and numerous advantages are provided by the methods and systems of the present invention.